U.s. Relations With The Cuban Government

During the Cold War, relations between Cuba and the United States were icy. Cuba was allied with the USSR, America’s enemy, and was well within their sphere of influence. With events like the failed Bay of Pigs invasion and the Cuban Missile Crisis happening on their soil, Cuba was at the center of the Cold War. Between ideological differences and their alliance with Russia, Cuba became an enemy of America as well. It took the efforts of ten American presidents, six Popes, and countless other actors, but Cuba and America are finally in the process of normalizing relations. There is still work to be done, but the path is clear and the time is right. However, one cannot simply ignore the last fifty years. In that time, millions of lives were affected by the lack of social, economic, and political ties between the U.S. and Cuba. In this paper, I will analyze the last fifty years of U.S. - Cuban relations by looking at the involved actors, their means, and their values and interests through the lenses of two paradigms, realism and constructivism.

In 1955 a revolutionary leader came to power in Cuba. His name was Fediel Castro. Castro kicked out the gambling crime bosses out of Cuba, angering those in the US. Castro wanted to be friends with a major power. He first tried to talk to the US. The president at the time, Eisenhower, did not come down to Cuba though. He sent his

The United States and Cuba have had a history of tension that goes back about 50 years. Within those years, an embargo was placed that kept Cuba isolated from participating in activities such as trade with the U.S. In 2008, a major step towards

Tensions between the U.S., Puerto Rico, and Cuba had always been apparent due to the United States heavy involvement within the countries. However, our nation also had a tendency to turn the other cheek if the issue Cuba had been dealing with was in favor of the United States. Though Cuba was economically doing very well, their political system was in turmoil with itself. This made them vulnerable to attack, and the U.S. took advantage of this. After the U.S.S. Maine was attacked in the Spanish-American war, the United States entered, and demolished. We did not suffer nearly as many casualties as those of the Spanish army. Many Cubans migrated to the U.S., but found a large portion of their natural rights taken by new acts and regimes. Puerto

The new era began, Barack Obama and Raúl Castro announced that the United States of America and Cuba will restore full diplomatic relations for the first time in more than 50 years since severing ties in 1961. Barston 2006, defines diplomatic relations as “the art and practice of conducting negotiations between representatives of states. It usually refers to international diplomacy, the conduct of international relations through the intercession of professional diplomats with regard to issues of peace-making, trade, economics and culture” (p. 1). One of the major areas it will address is the lifting of the Cuban embargo. The embargo restricts trade, travel and communication between the two states which hinders the economic development of Cuba.

Cuba is a nation that formed from a history of colonial and imperial domination. Formal colonial status under Spain ended during the invasion by the United States in 1898, when military and corporate interests made the island a de facto colony of the United States. However, Cuba and the United States have had a long history of both political and military ties; both good and bad. Nevertheless, these ties have played a vital role in the current relationship the United States maintains with Cuba. In the recent years, both countries have continued to work toward a better diplomatic relationship; possibly enhancing the overall success of both Cuba and the United States.

The last president to visit the nation of Cuba was President Calvin Coolidge in 1928. Since then there has many problems between the two nations. Fourteen months ago President Barrack Obama announced that there would be an effort in trying to normalize relations with Cuba. “"As the President has

Cuba and the United States has recently undergone a fundamental shift in regards to their foreign relations. They have lifted their embargo and restarted relations with the help of U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry, Cuban officials, and Pope Francis. The naval base and the prison on Guantanamo Bay has been a topic of controversy for a long time. Very recently, President Obama has released a plan to close the prison. He means to relocate the prisoners to other mainland prisons. While this is a still a debate in Congress, it shows a step forward in improving United States and Latin American

While Cuba has endured the embargo by the United States, it has not had the access to the rapid development of medical progress. Therefore, Cuba has had to rely on internal development programs to ensure the overall health to its people. Not only could Cuba benefit from access to medical research and trade, the United States could benefit as well. William Keck wrote the following in the New England Journal of Medicine:

“Change is hard in our own lives and in the lives of nations” President Obama said "Change is even harder when we carry the heavy weight of history on our shoulders. But today we are making these changes because it is the right thing to do"(cnn.com). The poor relations with Cuba and the United States have been like this since the cold war. Fidel Castro seized power in Cuba in 1959 by removing from power Fulgencio Batista who was in charge at the time. Castro taxed the United States hard on their imports. Which lead President Kennedy into a full economic embargo that included stringent travel restrictions that are still in effect today.

Since 1961, the United States and Cuba have had no relations with one another, and have used Switzerland as a mediator for the two countries to communicate (Suddath, 2009). This is beginning to change; the U.S and Cuba did business and trade together long ago, but when the U.S. found that Cuba allowed the Soviet Union to build missile bases in Cuba, along with other things leading up to this down-fall, all business between the U.S and Cuba came to a halt. On April 13, 2009, President Barak Obama announced that the United States would lift all restrictions and begin to trade and do business with Cuba, again (Suddath, 2009).

From the time, Fidel Castro came to power in Cuba tensions ran high between the Cuban government and the United States government. Relations between Cuba and the United States grew during Eisenhower and Kennedy administrations. Not as much during the Eisenhower administration as the Kennedy administration did tensions between between the two countries intensify. Kennedy faced many a different situations as President. He faced such situations like the Bay of Pigs Invasion and the Cuban Missile Crisis. Tensions have mounted high for a long time between Cuba and the United States.

For my research topic I want to look into how Cuban-American relations have changed over the last year since the Cuban Thaw began and how they will continue to change. For decades the United States and Cuba have had a tense relationship to say the least. With the end of the Cold War, the leadership in Cuba changing from Fidel Castro to Raúl Castro, and the leadership in the United States switching from President Bush to President Obama, I feel that the most optimal time for change is now. President Obama has very little time to enact meaningful change in the relationship between the US and Cuba. I want to research how the changes he’s already enacted and those he will enact (through the time I will be in Washington D.C. and through January) will affect relations for the decades to come. The ambitions of the Obama administration to restore full diplomatic relations with Cuba have been carried out

The United States and Cuba officially cut diplomatic ties in the 1960’s. After the relationship between the two nations deteriorated as a result of the Cold War, the United States enforced an embargo that restricted trade to the Caribbean island (Rothman, Why Did the U.S. and Cuba Sever Diplomatic Ties in the First Place?). Eventually, traveling to Cuba was also prohibited by the United States, which further affected the island’s economy in which American tourism decreased. However, after months of negotiations, the United States and Cuba have finally decided to restore their diplomatic relations. The reestablishing of the Cuban embassy and probable embargo lift will promote Cuba’s economic growth due

Devoid of the Cuban embargo the two countries will be able to enjoy economic growth and there will be an abundant circulation of cash between the two countries. Upon the removal of the embargo there will be more business opportunities and better advantages for the trade to open for the two countries. With its